Curriculum vitae
Prof. Dr. Bernhard Weßels, Curriculum Vitae
July 2023
Position
Senior Research Fellow, Center for Civil Society at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
Project Director of MARPOR (Manifesto Project), funded by the German Science Foundation
Professor
Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for Social Sciences, Political Science; Faculty Member of the Berlin Graduate School of the Social Sciences (BGSS)
Running funded research
MARPOR Manifesto Research on Political Representation (2009-2024), project director since 2017, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Research funds
2020-2023 EU, Horizon 2020 Observatory of Political Texts in European Democracies (OPTED), Workpackage 4 (Political Parties and Interest Groups)
2019 – 2024 German Science Foundation (DFG), Manifesto Research on Political Representation (MARPOR)
2009 – 2017 German Science Foundation, (DFG), "German Longitudinal Election Study", long-term fund, co-applicant with Hans Rattinger, Sigrid Rossteutscher, and Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck
2008 – 2011 EU, FP7: "Providing an Infrastructure for Research on Electoral Democracy in the European Union" (PIREDEU)
2002 – 2003 German Science Foundation (DFG), "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2002", co-applicant with Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim
2000 – 2002 German Science Foundation (DFG), "The consolidation of democracy in central and eastern Europe", co-applicant with D. Fuchs, H.-D. Klingemann, and E. Roller
1999 – 2001 German Science Foundation (DFG), "MPs in Europe: conceptions of political order and co-operation in the European Union"
1995 – 1998 Fritz Thyssen Foundation, "Intermediary organizations and political participation" co-applicant with Hans Dieter Klingemann
1995 – 1997 German Science Foundation (DFG), "European parliament and political representation"
Academic positions
4/2020-3/2022 Acting Director, Research Unit "Democracy and Democratization" at the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB)
4/2013- Professor, Humboldt-University Berlin, Institute for Social Sciences (ISW)
4/2003-3/2020 Deputy Director, research unit "Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges" at the WZB
2/2009- Faculty Member of the Berlin Graduate School of the Social Sciences (BGSS)
7/2008-2013 Private Lecturer for political science, Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for Social Sciences
3/2000-2008 Private Lecturer for political science, FU Berlin
1992-3/2003 (completion of the research unit) Deputy Director, research unit "Institutions and Social Change" at the WZB
11/1999 Guest Professor, Institute for Advanced Studies (Institut für Höhere Studien, IHS), Vienna; post-graduate seminar on attitudes towards European integration
10/1989- Senior Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research unit "Institutions and Social Change" (until 3/2003).
From 4/2003 on: Senior Research Fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research unit “Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges”
10/1986-9/1989 Assistant Professor, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin
10/1985-3/1987 Lecturer at the Institute for Sociology at the FU Berlin
1983-2000 Lecturer for political science at the Department of Political Science, FU Berlin
1982-1983 Research assistant, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin
1981-1982 Student assistant, Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin
1978-1981 Freelance student assistant at the Central Institute for Social Research (Zentralinstitut für sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung), FU Berlin
Research Projects
2020-2023 Observatory of Political Texts in European Democracies (OPTED), Workpackage 4 (Political Parties and Interest Groups), EU, Horizon 2020, co-director
2019 – 2024 Manifesto Research on Political Representation (MARPOR), German Science Foundation (DFG), director
2017-2021 Politische Legitimität in Krisenzeiten (PolLegKris), 2017-2021, co-director (with Heiko Giebler, WZB), funded by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
2009-2021 German Longitudinal Election Study, 2009-2021 (GLES), long-term fund of the German Science Foundation (DFG), co-applicant (with Sigrid Rossteutscher, Hans Rattinger, and Rüdiger Schmitt-Beck) and principal investigator
2009-2012 European Social Survey, ESS Round 6, Member of the Question Module Design Team “Europeans' understandings and evaluations of democracy”
2008 – 2011 PIREDEU, FP7 Project, funded by the European Commission, principle investigator, project component „European Candidate Study“
2007 – 2009 Denationalization of Problem Perceptions. Survey-based research project in cooperation of the research unit "Democracy" and the research unit "Transnational Conflicts and International Institutions" of the WZB
2005-2007 Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2005" in conjunction with the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (funded by the WZB, in cooperation with the research unit “Inequality and Social Integration”), project director
2005 – 2011 Quality of Democracy - Democracy Barometer for Established Democracies, NCCR Democracy, University of Zurich, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation
2004-2007 European Election Study 2004, member of the project group
2004-2008 CONNEX, Network of Excellence, 6th framework program of the EU, individual member
2003-2005 "European citizenship and multiple identities", member of the drafting group for an integrated project in the context of the 6. framework program of the European Union, WZB project
2002-2004 Research project "Towards a European Civil Society (CiSoNet)" (WZB project, funded by the European Commission, member of the project group)
2002-2003 Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 2002" in conjunction with the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project director and co-applicant with Hermann Schmitt, University of Mannheim)
2000-2002 Research project "The consolidation of democracy in central and eastern Europe" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG) co-applicant with Dieter Fuchs, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Edeltraud Roller)
1999-2001 "MPs in Europe: conceptions of political order and co-operation in the European Union" (funded by the German Science Foundation, DFG, applicant and project director)
1998-2003 European Election Study 1999, member of the project group
1998-2002 Research program "Political representation and party choice in the European Union", training and mobility of researchers program (TMR) of the European Commission, representative of the WZB knot together with Hans Dieter Klingemann
1998-1999 Research project "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 1998" in conjunction with the "Comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)" (in co-operation of WZB; the Central Archive for Empirical Social Research (ZA), Cologne; the Center for Survey Research, Methods and Analyses (ZUMA), Mannheim); and the University of Mannheim (coordinator with Hermann Schmitt))
1995-1998 Research project "Macro structures in OECD countries and political performance, 1945-1990"
1995-1998 Research project "Intermediary organizations and political participation" (funded by the Fritz Thyssen foundation, applicant and co-director with Hans Dieter Klingemann)
1995-1997 Research project "European parliament and political representation" (funded by the German Science Foundation, DFG, applicant and project director)
1995-1996 Research project "Local elites and local democracy", international research group "Democracy and local governance" (with Thomas R. Cusack)
1994-1998 Research project "Abstention, voter migration and political issues" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project managers Lutz Erbring, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Richard Stoess)
1994-1996 "Post-election study of the federal elections in Germany, 1994” (in co-operation with the research professorship "Comparing democratic systems (WZB) and ZUMA, Mannheim, member of the project group)
1994- Research project "The comparative study of electoral systems (CSES)", member of the project group
1993-1999 Research project "Political representation in Europe" in conjunction with the European Election Study (EES) 1994, (co-coordinator with Richard Katz, Pippa Norris, Jacques Thomassen)
1991-1997 Research project "Political Representation in Comparative Perspective" (project convener Warren Miller)
1991-1994 Research project "Political culture, political and economic orientations in central and eastern Europe during transition to democracy" (coordinator Samuel Barnes)
1990-1994 Research project "The future of Berlin" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project directors Nils Diederich, Lutz Erbring, Hans-Dieter Klingemann)
1990-1994 "Comparative national election project, CNEP", German study group (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), project managers Max Kaase, Hans-Dieter Klingemann, Franz Urban Pappi)
1989-1994 Research project ''Beliefs in government", subgroup "Internationalization of governance" (funded by the European Science Foundation, program directors Max Kaase, Ken Newton).
1988-1993 Research project "MPs: Role and communication in the representative democracy of Germany" (funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG), co-director with Dietrich Herzog)
1987-1989 Research project ''Industry and environmental protection'' recognized as project of the Central Institute for Social Research" at the FU Berlin
1986-1988 Cooperation in the project ''Archive of political elites: social change and elite transformation'' (funded by the Commission for the Promotion of Research and Training at the FU Berlin, project director Dietrich Herzog)
1985-1987 Research project "Communication potential in the subculture of Berlin" (university project, funded by the Institute for Sociology at the FU Berlin, with Thomas Pahnke)
1984-1986 Freelance collaborator in the research program ''Conflict potentials and consent strategies in the socio-political system of the Federal Republic of Germany'', subproject "Electors and elected" (funded by the Commission for the Promotion of Research and Training at the FU Berlin, project convener Dietrich Herzog)
1982-1983 Research assistant in the project "Political crisis factors in the socio-economic system of Berlin" (funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, project manager Hans-Dieter Klingemann)
Professional activities
2014 – 2022 Member of the external advisory board of The Institute of Social Sciences (Instituto de Ciências Sociais, ICS) of the University of Lisbon
2012 Member of the selection committee for a professorship at the Humboldt University Berlin, Institute for the Social Sciences
2012 - Member of the editorial board of Democratic Theory. An Interdisciplinary Journal (JDT)
2012 - Member of the editorial board of the Journal of Elections Public Opinion and Parties (JEPOP)
2009 – 2012 Member of the scientific advisory board of the Austrian National Election Study (AUTNES)
2008 – 2011 Member of the scientific advisory board of the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna (IHS)
2007 Member of the selection committee for a junior professorship at the University of Lunenburg (Leuphania)
2007 Member of the selection committee for a guest professorship at the Technical University of Berlin
2007 Member of the executive committee of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW)
2007 Founding member of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wahlforschung), member of the founding board of directors
2007 – 2019 Member of the board of directors of the German Society of Electoral Research (DGfW), Vice-President
2007 – 2011 Member of the steering committee of the PIREDEU FP7 project
2007 – 2008 Member of the Kuratorium (board of trustees) of the WZB
1998 – 2014 Member (elected, 3 terms 1998-2003, 2003-2009, 2009-2014) of the Planning Committee of the "Comparative Study of Electoral Systems'' (CSES), module II, module III, and module IV
1998 – 2000 Member of the research program commission of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
1998 – 1999 Member of the appointment commission for the position of a director in the research area of economics at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
1997-2009 Member of the co-ordination group of the German national election study (Deutsche Wahlstudie, DWS)
1997 - 12/2001 Speaker (elected) of the scientific council of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)
1994- Scientific correspondent of the Revue International de Politique Comparée
1993-2010 Member of ICORE (The International Committee for Research into Elections and Representative Democracy)
1993-2009 Member (elected) of the scientific council of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), re-elected 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
1993-10/1999 Speaker (elected) of the working group "Interest groups" of the German Political Science Association (DVPW)
1988-9/1989 Member of the advisory board of the institute for computer science, FU Berlin
1988-1989 IT delegate of the Central Institute for Social Research, FU Berlin
1985-1991 Member of the international research group on "Politics and Business in Western Democracies", International Political Science Association (IPSA)
1983-1989 Member of the working group on methods of the department of political science at the FU Berlin
Reviews/evaluations
for Journals
American Journal of Political Science (AJPS); Acta Politica; British Journal of Political Science (BJPS); Comparative Political Studies (CPS); Comparative Politics (CP); Czech Sociological Review (CSR); European Journal of Political Research (EJPR); European Union Politics (EUP); German Politics; International Organization (IO); Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS); Journal of Economics; Journal of Electoral Studies (JEL); Journal of Elections, Public Opinion & Parties (JEPOP); Journal of European Public Policy (JEPP); Journal of Legislative Studies (JLS); Journal of Politics (JOP); Journal of Theoretical Politics (JTP); Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie (KfZSS); Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (OEZP); Politische Vierteljahresschrift (PVS); Political Analysis (PA); Political Behavior; Political Studies; West European Politics (WEP); World Politics (WP); Zeitschrift für Politik; Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft (ZfP); Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft (ZfVP)
for Research funding
German Science Foundation (DFG)
Dutch Social Science Research Council
Swiss National Science Foundation (FNSNF)
Fritz Thyssen Foundation
Excellence Promotion in Research, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Memberships
German Political Science Association (DVPW)
German society for parliamentary research (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Parlamentsfragen, DVParl)
American Political Science Association (APSA)
German Society for Election Research (DGfW)
Education
1962-1965 Lessing-Grundschule (primary school), Bremen
1965-1968 Baluschek-Grundschule (primary school), Berlin
1968-1976 Leibniz-Gymnasium (High School), Berlin
1976 University-Entrance diploma (Abitur)
1976-1982 Studies in sociology, political economy, statistics, and political science at the Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin)
1982 Final degree in sociology (Diploma)
12/1989 PhD, graduation to Dr. phil., Department of Political Science, FU Berlin
2/2000 Venia legendi for political science, Department of Political and Social Sciences, FU Berlin
Research interests
Comparative politics, interest intermediation and political representation, political attitudes and political behavior